Trends in Group Child Care Home Licensing Requirements and ...

March 2020

Trends in Group Child Care Home Licensing Requirements and Policies for 2017

Research Brief #3

Acknowledgements

This document was developed with funds from Grant # 90TA0002-01-00 for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, Office of Child Care, and Health Resources and Services Administration, by the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance. This resource may be duplicated for noncommercial uses without permission.

Licensing Trends 2017 Group Child Care Homes

March 2020 1

Research Brief 3: Trends in Group Child Care Home Licensing Requirements and Policies for 2017

Contents

Introduction 3

Scope and Purpose 3

Methodology 4

Compilation of State Licensing Requirements 4

NARA Survey of Licensing Programs and Policies 4

Comparative Analysis 4

Summary of Key Findings 5

Group Child Care Homes Licensed 7

Number of Licensed Group Child Care Homes 7

Licensed Capacity in Group Child Care Homes 8

Licensing Threshold 9

Maximum Number of Children 9

Staff Roles and Age Requirements 10

Staff Education and Ongoing Training Requirements 10

Orientation Training 11

Health and Safety Topics Required in Preservice and Orientation Training 11

Background Checks 13

Provider Health and Hiring Requirements 14

Child-Staff Ratios in Group Child Care Homes 14

Supervision of Children 14

Health Requirements and Medical Care 15

Nutrition and Maintaining Healthy Weight 16

Activities, Equipment, and Materials 17

Family Involvement 17

Behavioral Guidance and Discipline 17

Child Assessment 17

Care of Infants and Toddlers 18

Care of School-Age Children 18

Care of Children with Disabilities or Other Special Needs 19

Trends in Group Child Care Home Licensing for 2017

March 2020 2

Transportation 19

Facility Health and Safety Requirements 20

Trends in State Licensing Agency Policies 22

Licensing Staff Assignments and Caseloads for All Facility Types 22

Frequency of Licensing for Group Child Care Homes 22

Types of Inspections for Group Child Care Homes 22

Frequency of Inspections in Group Child Care Homes 23

Monitoring Tools Used with All Facility Types 24

Use of Technology for Licensing Child Care Facilities 25

Enforcement Actions Used with Group Child Care Homes 26

Illegally Operating Child Care Providers 27

Complaint Investigations in Child Care Facilities 28

Licensing Information on the Internet About Child Care Facilities 28

Licensing Fees for Group Child Care Homes 29

Child Care Licensing Staff Requirements 29

Child Care Licensing Staff Supports 31

Conclusion 31

References 32


March 2020 3

Introduction

Within the early care and education system, licensing provides the baseline of protection for children and covers the broadest content, the largest number of children from birth to school age, and the largest population of providers. Licensing helps prevent various forms of harm to children—risks from the spread of disease; fire and other building safety hazards; injury; and developmental impairment from the lack of healthy relationships with adults, adequate supervision, or developmentally appropriate activities.

Licensing is a process administered by state and territory governments that sets a baseline of requirements below which it is illegal for facilities to operate.1 States have regulations with which facilities must comply and policies to support the enforcement of those regulations. Some states may call their regulatory processes “certification” or “registration,” but for consistency, this research brief uses the terms “licensing” and “licensed” to represent all regulatory processes.

The data presented in this brief are from the 2017 Child Care Licensing Study, which is the latest in a series of large-scale research studies of requirements for child care providers and facilities as well as policies and practices for licensing agencies. Data are collected for the Child Care Licensing Studies through a document review of state child care licensing regulations and a survey of state licensing agencies. The National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (ECQA Center) has conducted these studies in partnership with the National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA) every three years since 2005.

The data and findings from this research allow states and territories to compare their licensing requirements and polices to national data and track trends over time. These national findings can also inform comparisons with other systems in early care and education, such as quality improvement systems. We encourage other researchers to conduct further analysis with these data to answer questions for the field.

Scope and Purpose

The purpose of this research brief is to report on the licensing requirements and policies for group child care homes (GCCHs) for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.2 The term “state” will be used for all 51 jurisdictions.

States may define GCCHs differently in their licensing requirements. For the purpose of categorizing the types of GCCH settings states regulate, the following definition is used:

Two or more individuals who provide child care services for fewer than 24 hours per day per child, in a private residence other than the child’s residence, unless care in excess of 24 hours is due to the nature of the parent(s)’ work (National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, 2015).

In other research briefs in this series, licensing requirements and policies for child care centers and family child care homes (FCCH) are addressed.

Using data compiled from state child care licensing regulations and the results from a survey of state licensing agencies by the National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA), the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance conducted an analysis that examines the state of licensing in 2017 and identifies trends that have emerged during several years of data collection.

1 “Licensing” or “licensed” is defined as permission that providers must obtain from a state to operate a child care facility, which requires meeting specific program standards. 2 This type of family child care home may also be called “large family child care home” or “large/group family child care home.” This brief uses the same terminology as the U.S, Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ


March 2020 4

Methodology

Compilation of State Licensing Requirements

For this research, all data regarding group child care home requirements were compiled from the regulations posted in the National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations that were in effect as of December 31, 2017. The licensing requirements data presented in this research brief include information only from state child care licensing regulations. Additional requirements for child care facilities may be in state statutes; administrative codes; or other local, state, or federal laws. It was not in the scope of this work to review all laws that pertain to child care facilities.

NARA Survey of Licensing Programs and Policies

The data about states’ licensing policies, including facility monitoring, enforcement of licensing regulations, and licensing program staffing, were gathered by NARA in the 2017 NARA Child Care Licensing Programs and Policies Survey. NARA sent the online survey via SurveyMonkey to all state child care licensing agencies in March 2018. Respondents submitted their answers electronically, and by January 2019, all 50 states and the District of Columbia had responded.

Comparative Analysis

This brief includes a comparison with the findings from the 2014 Child Care Licensing Study that were reported in the ECQA Center’s brief Research Brief #3: Trends in Group Child Care Home Licensing Regulations and Policies for 2014 . The brief, published in 2015, includes a comparison of the 2014 data with previous Child Care Licensing Studies from 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2011.3

The number of states included in the data set for 2017 differs from 2014. This is because two U.S. territories did not respond to the 2017 NARA Child Care Licensing Programs and Policies Survey. Throughout the brief, notes explain that the dataset for 2017 has 51 states, including the District of Columbia, and the dataset from 2014 has 53 states, including the District of Columbia and 2 territories (Guam and the Virgin Islands).

In this brief, findings that show a significant increase or decrease in the number or percentage of states with a specific requirement or policy are identified with upward and downward facing arrows, shown below:

If there is no arrow next to a finding, the number or percentage of states changed by a very small amount or stayed the same from 2014 to 2017. Please note that some changes may also be due to the differences in the number of states in each set of data.

3 Findings from the 2011 Child Care Licensing Study is available in Research Brief #3: Trends in Group Child Care Home Licensing Regulations and Policies for 2011 at https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/research-brief-3-trends-group-child-care-home-licensing-regulations-and-policies-2011. Reports from the 2005, 2007, and 2008 studies are available at http://www.naralicensing.org/child-care-licensing-study.

https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/licensing

https://nara.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/ChildCareLicensingStudies/2017CCStudy/2017%20Child%20Care%20Licensing%20Survey%20%281%29.pdf

https://nara.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/ChildCareLicensingStudies/2017CCStudy/2017%20Child%20Care%20Licensing%20Survey%20%281%29.pdf

https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/research-brief-3-trends-group-child-care-home-licensing-regulations-and-policies-2014




http://www.naralicensing.org/child-care-licensing-study

http://www.naralicensing.org/child-care-licensing-study


March 2020 5

Summary of Key Findings

Key findings emerged from review and comparison of all data collected in 2014 and 2017. The data for these findings and many other indicators are detailed in the remaining sections of this research brief.

Findings: Licensing Requirements for Group Child Care Homes

Since 2014, more than two-thirds of states that license GCCHs (25; 66 percent) have made changes to their licensing regulations for group child care homes, and many significant trends have emerged.

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States have increased preservice qualifications for GCCH providers and assistant providers.

Several states increased the number of annual training hours for GCCH providers and assistant providers. The median number of hours required is 15 for providers and 12 for assistant providers.

Several states added preservice or orientation training requirements in health and safety topics between 2014 and 2017. The largest increases were in the topics of prevention and control of infectious diseases, emergency preparedness and response planning, prevention of shaken baby syndrome, precautions in transporting children, reduction of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and use of safe sleeping practices, administration of medication, and recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect.

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Several more states required five types of background checks—criminal history records, state fingerprints, federal fingerprints, child abuse and neglect registries, and the sex offender registry—for GCCH providers. This number increased from 16 to 28 states between 2014 and 2017.

More states have requirements about the amount of time children should spend in physical activity and limits on children’s screen time (such as computers, television, videos).

Several states added requirements about having an emergency and evacuation plan.


March 2020 6

Findings: Licensing Agency Policies for Group Child Care Homes

There are several promising trends in child care licensing policies about monitoring and enforcement in group child care homes and all child care facilities from 2014 to 2017. Some of these findings are about policies for group child care homes and some are about policies for all types of licensed facilities.

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The average caseload for licensing line staff decreased from 97 centers and homes in 2014 to 81 centers and homes in 2017.

The percentage of states that conduct unannounced routine compliance inspections of GCCHs increased from 66 percent in 2014 to 97 percent in 2017.

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Ninety-five percent of states reported conducting inspections of GCCHs at least once a year, compared to 85 percent in 2014.

Most states continue to use monitoring strategies—such as using abbreviated compliance forms and determining the frequency of monitoring based on compliance history—that promote efficiency and allow better allocation of resources and staff. More states report using a key indicator system to determine the rules to include on an abbreviated compliance form (up from 8 states to 10).

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More states (65 percent, up from 53 percent) report having conducted a risk assessment of requirements to identify those that pose the greatest risk of harm to children if a child care facility is not in compliance.

The most common enforcement actions are revocation, denial, or nonrenewal of a license; emergency or immediate closure of a facility; issuance of a conditional license; and civil fines.

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Since 2005 the number of states posting inspection reports has more than quadrupled, increasing from 9 states to 43 states in 2017.

More states require licensing line staff to complete training each year (73 percent, up from 53 percent).


March 2020 7

Trends in State Licensing Requirements for Group Child Care Homes

The information in this section was compiled and analyzed from the licensing regulations for GCCHs posted in the National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations that were in effect on December 31, 2017.

Group Child Care Homes Licensed

Thirty-eight states, including the District of Columbia, license GCCHs, defined as two or more adults caring for a group of children in the provider’s residence.4

▪ Thirteen states do not license GCCHs as defined above— Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Since 2014, Georgia no longer has GCCH as a type of child care facility it licenses.

•

•

Most of these states license home-based providers that meet the definition of a family child care home.5

Louisiana, New Jersey, and South Dakota do not have mandatory licensing requirements for home-based providers, whether defined as a family child care home or group child care home.6

Number of Licensed Group Child Care Homes

In 2017, a total of 37,507 licensed GCCHs were in the United States, with a total of 233,230 licensed facilities (child care centers, family child care homes, and group child care homes) overall, as shown in table 1. GCCHs are 16 percent of the total number of licensed facilities.

The number of GCCHs has decreased by 3 percent since 2014. The total number of licensed centers and homes decreased by 10 percent.

• States reported that increased regulations and the economy are reasons for the decrease. They also mentioned that many providers are aging and retiring.

4 In the 2014 Child Care Licensing Study, we reported that the number of states that licensed GCCHs was 41; for 2017 we report the number is 38. The difference is because two territories (Guam and the Virgin Islands) did not respond to the survey for the 2017 Child Care Licensing Study and Georgia no longer licenses a type of facility that meets the GCCH definition. 5 A family child care home (FCCH) is defined as at least one adult caring for a group of children in the provider’s residence. 6 Louisiana, New Jersey, and South Dakota allow home-based child care providers to apply for a license voluntarily and have requirements for these providers if they receive payment from public funds.

Dates of Regulations

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Of the 38 states that license GCCHs, 25 states (66 percent) made changes to their GCCH licensing regulations since the data were last collected in 2014. Of these 25 states, 22 had new regulations go into effect in 2016 and 2017.

One state (Hawaii) has not changed its regulations since 2002.



March 2020 8

Table 1. Number of Licensed Group Child Care Homes, 2014 and 2017

Number of Facilitiesa 2014 2017 Difference Percentage

Change

Group child care homesb, c 38,515 37,507 -1,008 -2.62%

Total number of licensed facilities 260,014 233,230 -26,784 -10.30%

Notes: N = 38 states (including the District of Columbia) that license GCCHs. a Data about the number of licensed facilities were collected in the NARA Child Care Licensing Programs and Policies Survey. b One state (Minnesota) combined the number of FCCHs and GCCHs in its response to the 2014 survey but separated the data into the two categories in its 2017 survey response. For consistency in this analysis, the number of FCCHs and GCCHs were combined for the 2017 data and reported as FCCHs. c One state (Georgia) no longer has a category of licensed GCCHs. All homes are now categorized as FCCHs. For consistency in this analysis, the number of FCCHs and GCCHs were combined for the 2014 data and reported as FCCHs.

Licensed Capacity in Group Child Care Homes

In 2017, there were more than 9.9 million licensed slots in all child care facility types, as shown in table 2.7

The number of licensed slots in GCCHs has decreased by 5 percent from 2014 to 2017.

The total licensed capacity for centers, family child care homes, and group child care homes has increased by 0.51 percent during that same time period.

Three percent of licensed child care slots are in GCCHs.

Table 2. Licensed Capacity in Group Child Care Homes, 2014 and 2017

Licensed Capacitya 2014 2017 Difference Percentage

Change

Group child care homesb, c 340,821 323,119 -17,702 -5.19%

Total licensed capacity 9,937,147 9,988,173 51,026 +0.51%

Notes: N = 36 states (including the District of Columbia) that license GCCHs. Two states (Alabama and Idaho) were not included because they did not provide data about licensed capacity in both 2014 and 2017. a Data about licensed capacity were collected in the NARA Child Care Licensing Programs and Policies Survey. b One state (Minnesota) combined the number of FCCHs and GCCHs in its response to the 2014 survey but separated the data into the two categories in its 2017 survey response. For consistency in this analysis, the licensed capacity for FCCHs and GCCHs were combined for the 2017 data and reported as FCCHs. c One state (Georgia) no longer has a category of licensed GCCHs. All homes are now categorized as FCCHs. For consistency in this analysis, the licensed capacity for FCCHs and GCCHs were combined for the 2014 data and reported as FCCHs.

7 Data are based on responses from 36 states (including the District of Columbia) that license GCCHs. Two states (Alabama and Idaho) did not provide data about licensed capacity in both 2014 and 2017 and were not included in the analysis of licensed capacity. .


March 2020 9

Licensing Threshold

As shown in figure 1, most states license a facility as a GCCH when at least seven or more children are in care.

Six states do not specify a licensing threshold for GCCHs.

Figure 1. Licensing Thresholds for Group Child Care Homes, 2017

Note: N = 38 states (including the District of Columbia) that license GCCHs.

Maximum Number of Children

Typically, GCCHs have two adult providers caring for a group of children.

Of the 38 states that license GCCHs, 23 (61 percent) allow no more than 12 children in the home.

Eight states allow 12 preschool children plus additional school-age children. These states allow from 2 to 5 additional school-age children in care during the before- and after-school hours or during school vacations. Most allow 3 additional children.

Six states allow 14 or more (up to 30 in 1 state) preschool-age children in GCCHs.


March 2020 10

Thirty-one states count providers’ children or other children living in group child care homes in the maximum numbers allowed.

Staff Roles and Age Requirements

All states that license GCCHs have requirements for the provider role. Thirty-two states (84 percent) have requirements for the assistant provider role.

The most common age requirement is that providers and assistant providers be at least 18 years old.

Staff Education and Ongoing Training Requirements

Eighteen states (47 percent) require GCCH providers to have a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate, as shown in table 3. Ten states (31 percent) require assistant providers to have a diploma or GED.

Table 3. Number of States with Requirements for High School Diploma or GED, Preservice Qualifications, and Ongoing Training, 2017

GCCH Role Role Regulated

High School Diploma or

GEDa Preservice

Qualifications Ongoing Training

Provider 38 18 33 34

Assistant provider 32 10 16 26

Notes: N = 38 states (including the District of Columbia) that licensed GCCHs. a Required qualifications vary by role and state. In some cases, only a high school diploma or equivalent is required, but most of the time, other preservice qualifications—such as training, credentials, or experience—are also necessary.

The most common minimum preservice qualification for both GCCH providers and assistant providers is clock hours of training.

One state added a requirement for preservice qualifications for GCCH providers since 2014—New Hampshire. Three additional states increased the amount of preservice education required for GCCH providers—the District of Columbia, Kansas, and New York.

Three states increased the amount of preservice education required for GCCH assistant providers—the District of Columbia, Delaware, and Wyoming.

Defining Group Child Care Roles

The provider is the person responsible for getting a license with the state, operating the GCCH business in his or her home, and caring for the children. GCCHs, by definition, are required to have at least two adults caring for the children. Some states require GCCHs have two adults caring for children who meet the qualifications for a provider and some states allow GCCHs to hire an assistant that meets fewer requirements.


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The number of ongoing training hours required annually for GCCH providers ranges from 5 to 30, and from 2 to 24 for assistant providers. The median number of required training hours for GCCH providers is 15 and for assistant providers is 12. More than three-quarters of states that require ongoing training specify the content of the training for providers (30; 88 percent) and assistant providers (20; 74 percent).

Six states have increased the number of ongoing training hours for GCCH providers—Alaska, the District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas, and Wyoming.

Five states increased the number of ongoing training hours for assistant providers—the District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Texas, and Wyoming.

Orientation Training

Thirty-one states (82 percent) that license GCCHs require providers to complete some type of orientation training, with most of these requiring providers to complete an orientation to the licensing process (19; 61 percent).

One state (Tennessee) added this requirement since 2014.

Health and Safety Topics Required in Preservice and Orientation Training

First Aid and CPR

As shown in table 4, 38 states (100 percent) require GCCH providers to complete first aid training, and 36 states (95 percent) require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training before working with children or soon after employment. Twenty-nine of the states requiring CPR training (81 percent) specify that the training must focus on infants and children.

One state (New York) added a requirement for first aid training. Two states (Iowa and New York) added a required for CPR training.

Table 4. Number and Percentage of States with First Aid and CPR Training Included in Preservice or Orientation Licensing Requirements, 2014 and 2017

First Aid and CPR Training

2014

(N = 41)a

2017

(N = 38)a

First aid training required 40 38

Training focused on infants and children 17 13

CPR training required 37 36

Training focused on infants and children 31 29

Notes: N = 41 states (including Georgia, the District of Columbia, and 2 territories) that licensed GCCHs in 2014. N = 38 states (including the District of Columbia) that licensed GCCHs in 2017. a The decreases in number of states are because Georgia and 2 territories were included only in the 2014 data.


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Health and Safety Training Topics

As shown in table 5, in 2017, 68 percent of states required GCCH providers to complete preservice or orientation training related to detecting and reporting child abuse and neglect. Sixty-six percent require providers to complete training in preventing sudden infant death syndrome and using safe sleeping practices, and 58 percent require training in preventing the spread of infectious disease.

Table 5 also shows that large numbers of states added preservice or orientation training requirements for GCCH providers in health and safety topics from 2014 to 2017. The number of states adding requirements by topic are as follows:

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•

•

•

•

•

•

Prevention and control of infectious diseases—10 states

Emergency preparedness and response planning—9 states

Prevention of shaken baby syndrome, abusive head trauma, and child maltreatment—9 states

Precautions in transporting children—9 states

Preventing sudden infant death syndrome and using safe sleeping practices—8 states

Administration of medication—8 states

Recognizing and reporting of child abuse and neglect—6 states

Table 5. Number of States with Health and Safety Training Topics Included in Preservice or Orientation Licensing Requirements, 2014 and 2017

Health and Safety Training Topics

2014

(N = 41)

2017

(N = 38)

Recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect 22 26

Prevention of sudden infant death syndrome and using safe sleeping practices

19 25

Prevention and control of infectious diseases 14 22

Emergency preparedness and response planning 15 21

Prevention of shaken baby syndrome, abusive head trauma, and child maltreatment

11 20

Administration of medication 10 17

Precautions in transporting children 7 15

Prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions

n.d. 11

Handling and storage of hazardous materials and the appropriate disposal of bio-contaminants

n.d. 11

Building and physical premises safety n.d. 10

Notes: N = 41 states (including Georgia, the District of Columbia, and 2 territories) that licensed GCCHs in 2014. N = 38 states (including the District of Columbia) that licensed GCCHs in 2017. n.d. = Data are not available from 2014.


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Background Checks

Of the 38 states that license GCCHs, all require at least 1 type of background check for GCCH providers, with all states requiring checks of criminal history records and child abuse and neglect registries. Thirty-five states (92 percent) require providers to have fingerprint checks (either state, federal, or both).

As shown in figure 2, the percentage of states that require checks of fingerprints, child abuse and neglect registries, and sex offender registries has increased since 2014.

Figure 2. Background Check Requirements for Group Child Care Homes, 2014 and 2017

Notes: N = 41 states (including Georgia, the District of Columbia, and 2 territories) that licensed GCCHs in 2014. N = 38 states (including the District of Columbia) that licensed GCCHs in 2017.

Twenty-eight states (74 percent) require all five types of background checks—criminal history records, state fingerprints, federal fingerprints, child abuse and neglect registries, and the sex offender registry—for GCCH providers.

The number of states that conducted all five types of background checks was 16 (39 percent) in 2014.

Thirty states (79 percent) require GCCH providers to sign criminal-status statements.

Nineteen states (50 percent) require background checks to be completed every 5 years. Fourteen states (37 percent) require checks be completed more frequently, ranging from annually to every 4 years.


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Provider Health and Hiring Requirements

Twenty-seven states (71 percent) require GCCH providers to have a physical exam or provide a health statement from a physician before working with children.

Twenty-two states (58 percent) require GCCH providers to have a tuberculosis screening.

Ten states (26 percent) require references from providers at initial licensure.

Child-Staff Ratios in Group Child Care Homes

For child care centers, all states have requirements for child-staff ratios, or the number of children one staff member can supervise. Child-staff ratio requirements are typically based on the ages of children in care. States have child-staff ratio requirements for GCCHs; however; not all states base these requirements on ages of children because home providers typically care for mixed-age groups.

There is great variability in these requirements across states, which makes them difficult to summarize. Some states have child-staff ratios for entire groups of children (for example, 6:1) that equal 2 adults present when the maximum number of children allowed are present (such as a maximum of 12 children). Some states have ratios based on the ages of children in the group. For example, a state may require a child-staff ratio of 4:1 for children younger than 3 years and a ratio of 10:1 for children age 3 years and older.

Supervision of Children

Of the 38 states that license GCCHs, all have requirements for providers about the supervision of children in care. Among those states, some specify that providers must always be able to see or hear children or that providers must be free of other duties while supervising children.

Thirty-seven states (97 percent) have specific requirements about the supervision of children during at least one of the times or activities listed in table 6.

Table 6. Supervision Requirements for Group Child Care Homes, 2017

Times and Activities Number of States

Transportation in vehicles 35

Swimming or water activities 35

Field trips 30

Evening or overnight care 27

Outdoor play 25

Naptime 24



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Health Requirements and Medical Care

Twenty-four states (63 percent) require children to have a physical exam when enrolling in a GCCH.

As shown in table 7, all states require children to have immunizations to enroll in GCCHs. However, most of these states allow exemptions from immunization requirements if written statements are provided from a parent or guardian (66 percent) or a physician (58 percent).

Table 7. Immunization Requirements for Children in Group Child Care Homes, 2017

Immunization Requirements Number of States

Immunization requirements for children

Children are required to have immunizations to enroll in a GCCH. 38

State sets time for when immunizations records must be submitted to the GCCH after enrollment.

10

State has requirements that address immunization records for homeless families. 8

Immunization exemptions for children

State allows parents and guardians to provide a written statement that they do not wish to have their child immunized.

25

State allows physicians to provide a written statement for exemption from immunizations for medical need.

22

State allows GCCHs to exclude children until immunization records or exemption statements are provided.

10

State allows GCCHs to accept a child on a conditional basis if not all immunizations are complete.

6

State allows GCCHs to refuse to accept children who have been exempted from immunization by parents.

1


Thirty-seven states (97 percent) that license GCCHs have requirements about the administration of medication to children. GCCHs in nearly all these states must

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obtain permission from parents to administer medications (35 states; 95 percent);

keep records of medications given to children (29 states; 78 percent); and

get written instructions about how to give the medication to children (33 states; 89 percent).

Seventeen states (45 percent) require GCCH providers to complete training about the administration of medication.

Twenty-three states (61 percent) allow GCCHs to exclude children who are mildly ill, meaning that GCCH providers can require children to stay at home until they are well enough to return to the program.

Six states (16 percent) require GCCHs to have a health consultant available to the GCCH for medical advice and other medical services—Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, and North Dakota.


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Nutrition and Maintaining Healthy Weight

Thirty-six states (95 percent) have requirements for GCCHs about the nutritional content of meals and snacks served to children.

Table 8 shows the number of states with requirements in their licensing regulations that help with preventing obesity and maintaining healthy weight in young children. The following have changed since 2014:

Four states have added requirements for GCCHs about the amount of time children should participate in physical activity—Alaska, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Utah.

Six states have added requirements about screen time for GCCHs—the District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, and Utah.

Table 8. Number of States with Requirements for Group Child Care Homes about Maintaining Healthy Weight in Children, 2014 and 2017

Healthy Weight Requirement

2014

(N = 41)a

2017

(N = 38)a

Nutrition

Water for drinking must be freely available to children throughout the day. 25 22

Requirements are in place about breastfeeding or feeding breast milk to children in care.

19 21

Fruits or vegetables must be served at every meal. 11 11

Soft drinks or other sugary drinks are prohibited. 6 5

Providers must limit servings of 100 percent juice to one 4- to 6-ounce serving per day.

4 4

Low-fat or nonfat milk must be served to children age 2 years and older. 3 3

Physical activity

Daily outdoor play is required when weather permits. 35 33

Duration of daily physical activity is specified. 6 10

Screen time

State has rules about children’s use of television, computers, or other electronic media.

16 20

State requires that content of electronic media be age-appropriate, educational, nonviolent, and the like.

16 16

State sets limits on the amount of screen time allowed. 10 11

Use of electronic media is prohibited for children younger than age 2. 1 4



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Activities, Equipment, and Materials

Thirty-four states (89 percent) specify the types of activities—such as outdoor play, active play, quiet play, naptime, and group activities—that must be included in children’s daily schedules.

Twenty-nine states (76 percent) specify that the domains of children’s development must be addressed in activities. Most of these states require GCCHs to address children’s social, physical, language and literacy, cognitive and intellectual, and emotional development.

Twenty-two states (58 percent) have requirements for the types of equipment and materials GCCHs must have for children, such as indoor and outdoor gross-motor equipment, fine-motor manipulatives, books and other literacy materials, and art supplies.

Family Involvement

Five states have family involvement requirements for GCCHs—Connecticut, the District of Columbia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. One of these states (Pennsylvania) requires GCCHs to provide opportunities for families to be involved in activities.

Of the 38 states that license GCCHs, 31 (82 percent) have requirements about communication with families.

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One state (Rhode Island) requires GCCHs to keep logs of children’s care and to communicate with parents.

One state (Hawaii) requires GCCHs to hold regularly scheduled meetings with parents.

Thirty-five states (92 percent) require GCCHs to always provide families with access to the facility when their children are present.

Behavioral Guidance and Discipline

Twenty-nine states (76 percent) specify the types of discipline or behavior guidance that GCCH providers can use with children.

▪ One state (South Carolina) does not have a requirement that prohibits the use of corporal punishment in in GCCHs.

Of the 38 states that license GCCHs, 36 (95 percent) specify forms of discipline that GCCHs are not allowed to use with children. All of these states prohibit physical or corporal punishment and abusive language, and more than 90 percent prohibit denial of food.

Twenty-five states (66 percent) require GCCHs to have a written policy about behavioral guidance and discipline.

Six states require GCCHs to have policies about the expulsion of children from GCCHs—Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Tennessee.

Child Assessment

One state (Nevada) requires GCCHs to use observation or assessment methods, or both, to document children’s development and to share the results with families.


March 2020 18

Care of Infants and Toddlers

Thirty-three states (87 percent) require that infants be put on their backs to sleep to reduce incidences of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). As shown in table 9, most states have requirements about physician authorization for different sleep positions and prohibit the use of soft bedding in cribs.

Table 9. Number of States with Requirements for Group Child Care Homes about Reducing the Risk of SIDS, 2014 and 2017

SIDS Reduction Requirements

2014

(N = 41)a

2017

(N = 38)a

Infants must be placed on their backs to sleep. 34 33

Physicians may authorize different sleep positions for infants. 30 29

Soft bedding or materials must not be used in cribs. 21 21

Facilities must use cribs that meet the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission requirements.

14 13

Staff are required to complete preservice or orientation training about reducing SIDS.

18 25

Parents can authorize a different sleep position for infants. 1 1


Thirty-one states (82 percent) have requirements about how to feed infants, and 20 (53 percent) have requirements about breastfeeding or feeding breast milk to children in care.

Since 2014, 2 states added requirements for GCCHs about breastfeeding or feeding breast milk to children in care—Kansas and Oregon.

Care of School-Age Children

Of the 38 states that license GCCHs, 20 (53 percent) have incorporated requirements for the care of school-age children into the regulations for GCCHs. Of these 20 states,

▪

▪

▪

14 states (70 percent) specify the types of activities GCCHs should provide for school-age children;

8 states (40 percent) have requirements specific to the supervision of children in this age group; and

7 states (35 percent) require GCCHs to have specific types of equipment for school-age children.


March 2020 19

Care of Children with Disabilities or Other Special Needs

Thirty-one states (82 percent) have requirements in their GCCH regulations about the care of children with special needs. Table 10 includes some of the most common requirements for GCCHs.

Table 10. Requirements about the Care of Children with Disabilities or Special Needs for Group Child Care Homes, 2017

Requirements about the Care of Children with Disabilities Number of States

The GCCH must keep information about disabilities or special needs in children’s records.

12

The GCCH must obtain information from parents about children’s disabilities or special needs.

10

The GCCH must obtain information from physicians about children’s disabilities or special needs.

9

The GCCH must develop plans for caring for children with disabilities or special needs. 9

The GCCH must develop activity plans or accommodate existing plans for children with disabilities or special needs.

6

For children identified as having a disability or special need, the GCCH must keep individualized education program plans or individual family services plans in records.

2


Transportation

Of the 38 states that license GCCHs, all have requirements about transporting children in vehicles. Table 11 shows requirements states have for transporting children.

Table 11. Transportation Requirements for Group Child Care Homes, 2017

Transportation Requirements Number of States

Safety restraints for children (for example, seat belts, car seats) 33

Driver requirements (for example, driver’s license, minimum-age requirements)

33

Supervision of children when they board and exit vehicles 16

Specific child-staff ratio requirements for transporting children in vehicles 14

Attendance records of children being transported 7

Additional checks for children remaining on board once vehicles are unloaded

5



March 2020 20

Facility Health and Safety Requirements

As shown in table 12, between 2014 and 2017, there have been some increases in the number of states with common health and safety requirements for GCCHs, especially in emergency and evacuation plans and the release of children when they arrive and leave at the end of the day. Some of the small decreases and inconsistencies between 2017 and 2014 are caused by the difference in sample size (two territories and Georgia were included only in the 2014 data).

Nine states added requirements for GCCHs about having an emergency and evacuation plan—Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee.

Three states added requirements for GCCHs about the arrival of children and their release at the end of the day—Florida, North Dakota, and Wyoming.

Table 12. Number of States with Requirements about Health and Safety for Group Child Care Homes, 2014 and 2017

State Health and Safety Requirements

2014

(N = 41)a

2017

(N = 38)a

Environmental tests and inspections

Environmental tests (for example, lead paint, lead in water, asbestos, radon) 11 11

Environmental health inspectionsb 20 14

Building code inspectionsb 18 15

Indoor and outdoor space

Amount of indoor space per child is 35 square feet 32 30

Amount of outdoor space per child is 75 square feet 16 14

Surfaces under outdoor play equipment 31 29

Fence or other enclosure around outdoor space 27 25

Protection from bodies of water (for example, ponds, rivers, lakes) 28 29

Swimming pool requirements 39 37

Fire safety and emergency preparedness

Fire inspectionsb 32 29

Fire and emergency drills 34 34

Smoke detectors required in FCCHs 27 27

Fire extinguishers required in FCCHs 25 25

Emergency preparedness procedures 32 31

Emergency and evacuation plans 14 22

Security

Daily attendance records 27 27

Procedures for accepting and releasing children 19 21


March 2020 21

State Health and Safety Requirements

2014

(N = 41)a

2017

(N = 38)a

Insurance

Liability insurance 10 11

Automobile insurance 21 21

Reporting injuries, deaths, and child abuse and neglect

All serious injuries that happen to children reported to licensing agency 28 26

All deaths of children reported to licensing agency 28 26

Suspected child abuse and neglect reported; role as mandated reporter n.d. 32

Handwashing

Handwashing for staff 36 35

Handwashing for children 35 34

Diapering

Requirements for diapering 35 33

Procedures for sanitizing diapering area 30 30

Specification of when diapers are changed 20 21

Smoking policies

Smoking not allowed in the GCCH, on the grounds, in areas used to care for children, or in the presence of children

35 35

Firearms and other hazards

Firearms allowed in homes, but must be in locked containers, closets, or other safe locations

32 32

Firearms not allowed in homes 4 3

Restricted access to hazardous supplies and materials 36 35

Notes: N = 41 states (including Georgia, the District of Columbia, and 2 territories) that licensed GCCHs in 2014. N = 38 states (including the District of Columbia) that licensed GCCHs in 2017. n.d. = Data are not available from 2014. a The decreases in number of states are because Georgia and 2 territories were included only in the 2014 data. b Data about environmental health, building code, and fire inspections were collected in the NARA Child Care Licensing Programs and Policies Survey.


March 2020 22

Trends in State Licensing Agency Policies

The information in this section was compiled and analyzed from the 2014 and 2017 NARA Child Care Licensing Programs and Policies Survey. Some of these findings are about policies for group child care homes and some are about policies for all types of licensed facilities.

Licensing Staff Assignments and Caseloads for All Facility Types

Most state licensing agencies (80 percent) assign licensing line staff to inspect both child care centers and homes.8

Based on information reported from state licensing agencies, licensing line staff carry an estimated average caseload of 81 centers and homes.

The average caseload for licensing line staff decreased from 97 facilities in 2014.

Across the board, states’ reported caseloads that ranged from 26 facilities in Tennessee to 182 in Rhode Island.

▪ NARA recommends that licensing agencies calculate workload standards to account for local variables, but the average workload for inspectors should not exceed 50–60 facilities (Lapp-Payne, 2011).

Frequency of Licensing for Group Child Care Homes

GCCH licenses are valid in more than two-thirds (71 percent) of the states for either 1 or 2 years (42 percent and 29 percent, respectively). Nonexpiring licenses are issued for GCCHs in 5 states (13 percent)—California, Colorado, Nebraska, Ohio, and Oklahoma.

Seven states reported having nonexpiring licenses in 2014. The states that no longer had nonexpiring licenses in 2017 are Maryland and Texas.

Types of Inspections for Group Child Care Homes

As shown in table 13, all states conduct an inspection before issuing a license to a GCCH. Eighty-seven percent of states conduct an announced inspection before issuing a license.

In 2014, among states that conducted inspections before licensing a GCCH, 68 percent conducted only announced inspections. This number has gone up: in 2017, 82 percent conducted only announced inspections. In 2014, more states (10) reported conducting both announced and unannounced inspections before issuing a license to a GCCH than in 2017 (2 states).

Thirty-six states (95 percent) make routine compliance inspections to GCCHs, and 97 percent of those states always conduct these inspections unannounced. The two states that reported not conducting routine inspections reported that they conduct inspections for license renewal.

8 See the “Child Care Licensing Staff Requirements” section for findings about licensing staff qualifications and training.


March 2020 23

In 2014, 66 percent of states that conducted routine inspections in GCCHs used only unannounced inspections for this purpose, compared to 97 percent in 2017. In 2014, more states (13) reported conducting both announced and unannounced inspections for routine compliance than in 2017 (1 state).

Most of the 30 states that conduct inspections for license renewal in GCCHs use unannounced inspections for this purpose.

Table 13. Number of States Conducting Announced and Unannounced Inspections, by Type, in Group Child Care Homes, 2014 and 2017

Type of Inspection

2014

(N = 41)

2017

(N = 38)

Inspection conducted before issuing a license 40 38

Announced only 28 31

Unannounced only 2 5

Both announced and unannounced 10 2

Inspection not conducted 1 0

Inspection conducted for routine compliance 41 36

Announced only 1 0




Inspection conducted for license renewal 32 30

Announced only 13 11




License is nonexpiring (no renewal) 7 5

No response 1 0

Notes: N = 41 states (including Georgia, the District of Columbia, and 2 territories) that licensed GCCHs in 2014. N = 38 states (including the District of Columbia) that licensed GCCHs in 2017.

Frequency of Inspections in Group Child Care Homes

As shown in table 14, most states inspect GCCHs at least once a year.

Thirty-six states (95 percent) reported conducting inspections at least once a year, compared with 35 states (85 percent) in 2014.


March 2020 24

Table 14. Frequency of Licensing Inspections in Group Child Care Homes, Number of States in 2014 and 2017

Frequency of Inspections

2014

(N = 41)

2017

(N = 38)

More than three times a year 2 3

Three times a year 3 1

Twice a year 12 12

Once a year 18 20

Once every 2 years 4 1

Once every 3 years 0 1

Less than once every 3 years 2 0

Note: N = 41 states (including Georgia, the District of Columbia, and 2 territories) that licensed GCCHs in 2014. N = 38 states (including the District of Columbia) that licensed GCCHs in 2017.

Monitoring Tools Used with All Facility Types

States report using various tools and strategies to monitor child care facilities’ compliance with licensing requirements. These include conducting abbreviated inspections based on a selected set of requirements, determining frequency of inspections based on facilities’ compliance records, and providing child care providers with technical assistance (TA) to support compliance with requirements. Most states have also identified requirements that pose the greatest risk of harm to children if a center or home is not in compliance with them.

Abbreviated Compliance Inspection Forms

Thirty-five states (69 percent) report using abbreviated compliance forms that shorten the list of requirements checked during inspections.

▪

▪

▪

Twenty-three (66 percent) of these 35 states report that abbreviated compliance forms are used during routine compliance inspections.

Twenty-three (66 percent) of these states have specific policies for determining when to switch from an abbreviated compliance form during an inspection to a full compliance review of all regulations.

Most states report that they often chose the rules for inclusion in abbreviated compliance forms based on a consensus about rules considered most critical to protecting children’s health and safety and an assessment of risk of harm to children.

In 2017, 10 states (29 percent) reported developing a set of key indicators that could predict overall compliance as a method for determining the rules to include on an abbreviated compliance form. Eight states reported using key indicators in 2014.


March 2020 25

Differential Monitoring Based on Compliance

“Differential monitoring” is a method for determining the frequency of monitoring based on an assessment of a facility’s compliance with regulations.

Eighteen states (35 percent) report using differential monitoring to determine the frequency of inspections.

Risk Assessment of Requirements

In 2017, 33 states (65 percent) reported having conducted a risk assessment to identify the requirements in their licensing regulations that pose the greatest risk of harm to children. Twenty-eight states (53 percent) reported conducting a risk assessment in 2014.

▪ Most of the 33 states that conducted a risk assessment in 2017 identified categories of requirements as high-risk (13; 39 percent) or identified the highest-risk requirements (6 states; 18 percent). Thirteen states (39 percent) assigned a risk level or weight to all requirements.

Table 15 shows the common uses for a risk assessment of licensing requirements as it relates to monitoring and enforcement efforts.

Table 15. States’ Use of Risk Assessment of Licensing Requirements, 2017

Use of Risk Assessment Number of States

Determining frequency of inspections based on risk level of violations 17

Determining enforcement actions based on risk level of violations 15

Categorizing violations 15

Monitoring high-risk rules during abbreviated inspections 14

Note: N = 33 states that report conducting a risk assessment of their licensing requirements in 2017.

Technical Assistance

Nearly all states (49; 96 percent) report providing technical assistance and consultation during monitoring activities to help programs achieve compliance with regulations.

Forty-five states (88 percent) report providing TA to programs to help with specific noncompliance issues.

Thirty-four states (67 percent) report that they provide TA to help programs improve quality and exceed minimum licensing requirements.

The types of TA that licensing agencies provide to individual GCCHs include consultation and resources to help with specific compliance issues. Licensing agencies also offer training and resources to groups of child care providers about topics on which all providers need information.

Use of Technology for Licensing Child Care Facilities

Thirty-four states (67 percent) report using portable devices with specific software—such as laptops, portable digital assistants, and tablets—for capturing information during licensing inspections to help staff efficiently inspect and monitor licensed facilities.


March 2020 26

Twenty-one states (41 percent) have an online license application.

Forty-seven states (92 percent) have an automated licensing data system. Three states report that their data system is in development; one state reported having no data system.

▪ Fifty states (94 percent) reported that they had a licensing data system in 2014.The three states reporting that their data system is in development in 2017 reported that they had a system in 2014.

Table 16 shows the common uses of these databases.

Table 16. States’ Uses for Licensing Data Systems, 2017

Licensing Data System Uses Number of States

Provide supervisory oversight 31

Manage caseloads 30

Analyze compliance data 29

Comply with federal reporting requirements 28

Determine staff performance 26

Evaluate workload needs 27

Assess potential enforcement actions 25

Coordinate with other agencies or programs, such as Head Start, subsidy program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, quality rating and improvement system, and prekindergarten

23

Identify technical assistance and training needs 19

Guide revisions 18

Evaluate the licensing program and measure effectiveness 20

Track serious injuries 19

Track fatalities 18

Determine differential monitoring levels 9

Note: N = 51 states (including the District of Columbia).

Enforcement Actions Used with Group Child Care Homes

The most common enforcement actions used with facilities that are not in compliance with the regulations are revocation, denial, or nonrenewal of a license, emergency or immediate closure of a facility, and issuance of a conditional license. Table 17 shows the number of states that used these actions.


March 2020 27

Table 17. Enforcement Actions Used in Group Child Care Homes, 2017

Enforcement Actions Number of States

Revocation of license 38

Emergency or immediate closure of facility 38

Denial of license 37

Nonrenewal of license 30

Issuance of a conditional license 29

Civil fine 22

Probation 18

Consent agreement 16


Illegally Operating Child Care Providers

All states respond to complaints from the public or other information received about providers operating illegally. In addition, states work with local law enforcement agencies, monitor outlets where providers advertise, and seek to educate the public with campaigns about the importance of licensing.

Nearly all states (46; 90 percent) encourage providers operating illegally to become licensed.

As shown in table 18, states take various actions against providers found to be operating illegally.

Table 18. Actions Taken against Providers Found to Be Operating Illegally, 2017

Actions Taken against Providers Number of States

An injunction or cease-and-desist order may be issued. 44

Law enforcement may be contacted in certain circumstances. 39

Civil penalties or monetary fines may be assessed. 30

Misdemeanor charges may be filed. 29

Felony charges may be filed. 2



March 2020 28

Complaint Investigations in Child Care Facilities

Most states, as shown in table 19, accept complaints about child care providers from calls to the general licensing agency telephone number. States also have forms for submitting complaints on their websites and dedicated phone numbers for taking licensing complaints. Most states investigate complaints filed anonymously.

▪ No changes were reported from states between 2014 and 2017.

Table 19. Mechanisms for the Public to Submit Complaints about Licensed Child Care Providers, 2017

Mechanisms for Submitting Complaints Number of States

Telephone call to general licensing agency (no dedicated phone number) 43

Form to submit on licensing website 23

Telephone complaint hotline just for licensing (dedicated phone number) 17

Telephone complaint hotline shared with another program, such as child protective services

15

Notes: N = 51 states (including the District of Columbia). States often report multiple mechanisms for submitting complaints.

Nearly all states (50; 98 percent) report that the licensing agency will investigate complaints about child care providers. Thirty-seven of these states (74 percent) report using the same staff that conduct inspections to investigate complaints, and two (4 percent) report using only staff dedicated to complaint investigations. The remaining states report using various types of staff.

Nearly two-thirds of states (32; 63 percent) report that an unannounced inspection is conducted for every complaint received. The remaining states (18; 35 percent) conduct unannounced inspections only when an onsite visit is needed for the investigation.

States report that child abuse and neglect complaints filed against child care facilities are often investigated by the child protective services agency (37 states; 73 percent), the licensing agency (26; 51 percent), and law enforcement (16 states; 31 percent). Half of states (26; 51 percent) have a specialized unit to investigate these complaints.

Thirteen states (25 percent) report that the licensing agency investigates all complaints made against providers who are legally exempt from licensing. More often, states (25; 49 percent) investigate only to determine or verify that the facility is legally exempt. However, more than half of states (29; 57 percent) report that allegations of abuse and neglect are referred to their child protective services agency.

Licensing Information on the Internet About Child Care Facilities

Table 20 shows the number of states that post licensing inspection reports, complaints, and enforcement actions on a public website for consumers and providers.

Since these data were first collected in 2005, the percentage of states posting licensing inspection reports on the Internet has increased significantly, from 18 percent to 84 percent (National Association for Regulatory Administration & National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center, 2005).


March 2020 29

From 2014 to 2017, the percentage of states posting inspection reports increased from 64 percent to 84 percent. The percentage of states posting licensing complaints (mostly substantiated complaints) increased from 55 percent to 80 percent.

Of the 43 states that post inspection reports, nearly three-quarters report that they post inspection reports either within 1 week (16 states; 37 percent) or within 1 month of the inspection (16 states; 37 percent).

Twenty-seven states (63 percent) give child care providers the opportunity to review the report before it is posted to the Internet.

Twenty-seven states (63 percent) provide guidance to help the public understand and interpret the posted inspection reports.

Table 20. Licensing Information Posted on the Internet, 2005, 2014, and 2017

Licensing Information Posted on the Internet

2005

(N = 51)

2014

(N = 53)

2017

(N = 51)

Licensing inspection reports 9 34 43

Full report 7 16 27

Inspection summary 2 18 16

Licensing complaints 8 29 41

All complaints 2 9 9

Substantiated complaints 6 20 32

Enforcement actions n.d. 21 34

Corrective action plans n.d. n.d. 29

Notes: N = 51 states (including the District of Columbia) in 2005 and 2017. N = 53 states (including the District of Columbia and 2 territories) in 2014. n.d. = Data are not available.

Licensing Fees for Group Child Care Homes

Twenty-three states (61 percent) report that they charge GCCHs a fee to obtain a license. Licensing fees for GCCHs are most often a flat fee amount for the facility.

Seventeen states that charge a licensing fee for either centers or homes use the revenue to support the licensing agency. In 15 states, the revenue from licensing fees goes into states’ general funds.

▪ Two states (Kentucky and Virginia) report that licensing fees are used for child care provider professional development; one state (Arkansas) reports that fees are used to pay for background checks.

Child Care Licensing Staff Requirements

Thirty-five states (69 percent) report that they require licensing line staff to have a bachelor’s degree. In 26 states (51 percent), the content or major of the degree or coursework must be early childhood education, child development, or a related topic. Eighteen states (35 percent) also require experience working in a setting with children.


March 2020 30

Nearly all states (50; 98 percent) report that licensing line staff must complete training about the licensing system and provider requirements when they start employment. Table 21 shows the topics covered in that training.

Table 21. Training Topics Required for Licensing Staff at Start of Employment, 2017

Training Topics Number of States

Health and safety issues 50

State’s licensing policies and procedures 49

Regulatory issues 49

State’s regulations 49

Provider and licensor relationships and communication 45

Identifying child abuse and neglect 43

Supervision 39

Disaster and emergency planning 38

Cultural competency and sensitivity 37

Fire safety 37

Early childhood education or child development 34

Business administration and management 23

Adult development 6


Thirty-seven states (73 percent) require licensing line staff to complete additional training each year in various topics, as seen in table 22. Almost all states make training available to licensing staff through the licensing agency, local and state conferences, and community-based organizations. More than half of states receive training from outside consultants or national conferences.

In 2014, 28 states (53 percent) reported that they required licensing line staff to complete additional training each year.

Table 22. Annual Training Topics Required for Licensing Staff, 2017


State’s licensing policies and procedures 24

Regulatory issues 22

State’s regulations 22

Health and safety issues 20

Identifying child abuse and neglect 16

Cultural competency and sensitivity 14

Early childhood education or child development 14

Provider and licensor relationships and communication 13

Supervision 13

Disaster and emergency planning 13

Fire safety 11


March 2020 31


Business administration and management 7

Adult development 4


Child Care Licensing Staff Supports

Most states use multiple funding sources to support licensing functions. Forty-eight states (94 percent) use the Child Care and Development Fund to hire and support child care licensing staff. Two-thirds of states (35; 69 percent) also use general state funds for this purpose.

Six states (12 percent) use inter-rater reliability training or methods that determine how similar inspections are if conducted by different licensing staff members—Alabama, California, Georgia, Maine, Ohio, and Vermont. Two additional states—Rhode Island and South Carolina—are developing inter-rater reliability methods.

Twenty-eight states (55 percent) have developed interpretive guidelines for state licensing regulations.

More than three-quarters of states (78 percent) have disaster and emergency response policies that licensing staff must follow.

Conclusion

The findings presented in this brief provide evidence that states are making changes in their licensing requirements and policies to protect the health and safety of children in out-of-home care. We found that nearly all states’ licensing requirements address children’s health, nutrition, and medical care; supervision of children; and use of safe sleep practices with infants. States appear to recognize the key role that family child care providers play in the well-being of children, with many adding requirements for educational qualifications, preservice training in health and safety topics, annual professional development, and criminal background checks for GCCH providers.

We also found more states that require GCCHs to include physical activities for children in the daily schedule and set limits on children’s screen time. In addition, the prevention of harm to children is related to how FCCH providers plan for and respond to emergencies and fires; several states increased their requirements in these areas.

Licensing agencies have policies that address monitoring child care facilities for compliance with requirements, supporting child care providers to help them comply, and acting to enforce compliance when necessary. We found that more states are visiting child care facilities at least once a year, with nearly all states conducting unannounced inspections routinely. Also, more states are making licensing inspection reports available to the public by posting them on agency websites, giving families information they need to make choices about child care.

These data and findings can help states and territories assess their licensing requirements and policies against national trends to determine changes that they may need to make. A state could also use these national findings as research-based evidence to support changes to its own licensing system. We know that these findings do not answer many questions about the effectiveness of licensing policies and hope that this will inspire other researchers to do further analysis. However, additional products will be coming from the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, including fact sheets that go more in-depth on health and safety requirements and a new feature in the National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations that will allow users to search data from the 2017 Child Care Licensing Study by topic and child care facility type and download state-by-state tables and summaries of the data.



March 2020 32

References

Lapp-Payne, A. (2011). Strong licensing: The foundation for a quality early care and education system: Research -based preliminary principles and suggestions to strengthen requirements and enforcement for licensed child care. Retrieved from http://www.naralicensing.drivehq.com/publications/Strong_CC_Licensing_2011.pdf

National Association for Regulatory Administration & National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center. (2005). The 2005 child care licensing study: Final report. Retrieved from https://www.naralicensing.org/assets/docs/2005ChildCareLicensingStudy/2005_licensing_study_final_report_web.pdf

National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance. (2015). Research brief #3: Trends in group child care home licensing regulations and policies for 2014. Washington, DC: Office of Child Care. Retrieved from https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/resource/research-brief-3-trends-group-child-care-home-licensing-regulations-and-policies-2014

National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance

9300 Lee Highway Fairfax, VA 22031

Phone: 877-296-2250 Email: [email protected]

Subscribe to Updates http://www.occ-cmc.org/occannouncements_sign-up/

The National Center on Early Childhood Quality

Assurance (ECQA Center) supports state and

community leaders and their partners in the planning

and implementation of rigorous approaches to quality in

all early care and education settings for children from

birth to school age. The ECQA Center is funded by the

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

Administration for Children and Families.

http://www.naralicensing.drivehq.com/publications/Strong_CC_Licensing_2011.pdf

https://www.naralicensing.org/assets/docs/2005ChildCareLicensingStudy/2005_licensing_study_final_report_web.pdf

https://www.naralicensing.org/assets/docs/2005ChildCareLicensingStudy/2005_licensing_study_final_report_web.pdf



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